Precision Medicine for Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology

A special issue of Journal of Personalized Medicine (ISSN 2075-4426). This special issue belongs to the section "Personalized Therapy and Drug Delivery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2024 | Viewed by 5004

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
2. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
3. The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
Interests: adolescent and young adult oncology; breast cancer; sarcoma; soft tissue and bone sarcoma

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Adolescents and young adults (AYA, ages 15–39 years) affected by cancer have unique treatment, survivorship, and palliation concerns. Precision medicine for adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology is a rapidly growing field. With a focus on the unique challenges that this age group presents, the issue highlights the importance of precision medicine in improving outcomes and reducing side effects.

This Special Issue presents cutting-edge research and clinical advances in precision medicine for AYA oncology. Articles in this issue cover a range of topics, including genomic profiling, targeted therapies, and supportive care for AYA patients. This Special Issue also discusses the use of immunotherapy in AYA oncology, including the challenges and opportunities of using such therapies on this patient population. Original papers are especially encouraged; however, high-level systematic reviews or meta-analyses will also be considered for publication.

Dr. Amirrtha Srikanthan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology
  • precision medicine
  • immunotherapy
  • targeted therapies
  • genomics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 178 KiB  
Editorial
Precision Medicine for Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology
by Amirrtha Srikanthan
J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(10), 1449; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13101449 - 29 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1029
Abstract
Precision medicine, also referred to as “personalized medicine” is an approach in customizing disease prevention and treatment by integrating the unique differences found in individuals, typically identified through molecular or genomic characterization [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Medicine for Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology)

Research

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10 pages, 1185 KiB  
Article
Clinical Impact of Comprehensive Molecular Profiling in Adolescents and Young Adults with Sarcoma
by Eden C. Andrew, Jeremy Lewin, Jayesh Desai, Lisa Orme, Anne Hamilton, Susie Bae, Wenying Zhu, Shannon Nicolson, Leila N. Varghese, Camilla B. Mitchell, Joseph H. A. Vissers, Huiling Xu, Sean M. Grimmond, Stephen B. Fox and Stephen J. Luen
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14020128 - 23 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1826
Abstract
Sarcomas are a heterogenous group of tumours that commonly carry poor prognosis with limited therapeutic options. Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with sarcoma are a unique and understudied patient population that have only achieved modest survival gains compared to other groups. We present [...] Read more.
Sarcomas are a heterogenous group of tumours that commonly carry poor prognosis with limited therapeutic options. Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with sarcoma are a unique and understudied patient population that have only achieved modest survival gains compared to other groups. We present our institutional experience of AYAs with sarcoma who underwent comprehensive molecular profiling (CMP) via either large-panel targeted DNA sequencing or whole genome and transcriptome sequencing and evaluated the feasibility and clinical impact of this approach. Genomic variants detected were determined to be clinically relevant and actionable following evaluation by the Molecular Tumour Board. Clinicians provided feedback regarding the utility of testing three months after reporting. Twenty-five patients who were recruited for CMP are included in this analysis. The median time from consent to final molecular report was 45 days (interquartile range: 37–57). Potentially actionable variants were detected for 14 patients (56%), and new treatment recommendations were identified for 12 patients (48%). Pathogenic germline variants were identified in three patients (12%), and one patient had a change in diagnosis. The implementation of CMP for AYAs with sarcoma is clinically valuable, feasible, and should be increasingly integrated into routine clinical practice as technologies and turnaround times continue to improve. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Medicine for Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology)
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Review

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13 pages, 301 KiB  
Review
Young Women with Breast Cancer: The Current Role of Precision Oncology
by Amirrtha Srikanthan, Arif Ali Awan, Sharon McGee and Moira Rushton
J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(11), 1620; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13111620 - 20 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1605
Abstract
Young adults aged 40 years and younger with breast cancer represent less than 5% of all breast cancer cases, yet it is the leading cause of death among young women with cancer worldwide. Breast cancer that develops at a young age is more [...] Read more.
Young adults aged 40 years and younger with breast cancer represent less than 5% of all breast cancer cases, yet it is the leading cause of death among young women with cancer worldwide. Breast cancer that develops at a young age is more aggressive and has biological features that carry an increased risk of relapse and death. Young adults are more likely to have a genetic predisposition and key biomarkers, including endocrine receptors, the HER2 receptor, and proliferation biomarkers, that appear different compared to older adults. Despite being more aggressive, management strategies are largely the same irrespective of age. Given the higher rates of genetic predisposition, fast access to genetic counselling and testing is a necessity. In this review, the biological differences in young adult breast cancer and the current role precision medicine holds in the treatment of young adults with breast cancer are explored. Given the relatively high risk of relapse, developing novel genomic tools to refine the treatment options beyond the current standard is critical. Existing predictive genomic tests require careful interpretation with consideration of the patient’s clinical and pathological features in the young patient cohort. Careful evaluation is also required when considering extended endocrine therapy options. Improved characterization of mutations occurring in tumors using next-generation sequencing could identify important driver mutations that arise in young women. Applying the advances of precision medicine equitably to patients in resource-rich and low- and middle-income countries will be critical to impacting the survival of young adults with breast cancer worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Medicine for Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology)
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